News by the Students, for the Students

Mustangs: America’s Living History

Story by Caitlin Blankenship

The Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act state; that all free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death. The president’s Senate is currently debating and voting on whether to repeal that act. If it’s repealed, it means that people will be allowed to sell wild mustangs to slaughter, capture them, brand them, and harass them legally. (Add sentence explaining where these animals live)

The act protecting the mustangs was made in 1976. Mustangs are part of America’s history and should be preserved. These animals are very magnificent creatures and very loyal to their leader, as long as they’re trained correctly. I personally own two of these wonderful horses.

There are organizations helping mustangs get adopted. One example of an organization that helps is The Extreme Mustang Makeover, founded by the Free Roaming Wild Horses and Burros Association. This organization gives trainers 100 days to train a mustang, then bring them to a three-day show to show their stuff. At the end of the show, after the freestyle, the judges choose a winner, second place, third and so on. Two years ago, my mustang, Freedom, went to the Mustang Makeover, and she and her trainer, Marsha Hartford Sapp, won first place.

When getting captured the mustang are chased by a helicopter. That sounds bad, but it’s the most humane way and safe way to do it. Once the Mustangs are close to the pens the capturers let out a trained horse to lead the wild horses to the pen without hassle. Sometimes the horses get tired and are allowed to rest so they get a break from running from the helicopters.

The ranchers are complaining and calling the wild mustangs ‘ranch rats’. The Mustangs are getting pushed on less and less land. They are having to go to fields where there are no grass or water, that is a serious problem.

There are 50,000 mustangs in holding at the moment and the numbers are increasing. The government does want to capture more. The main reason there is a problem is that the government is leasing out property to cattle and sheep ranchers. The ranchers kill off the predators They take the mustang’s grazing lands and their drinking places. The ranchers are demanding more federal land, so that means more mustangs captured.

If you would like to help protect these beautiful, wild creatures call your state governor:

Senate Appropriations Members:

Alabama: Richard Shelby (202) 224-5744

Alaska: Lisa Murkowski (202)-224-6665

Arkansas: John Boozman (202) 224-4843

California: Dianne Feinstein (202) 224-3841

Connecticut: Chris Murphy (202) 224-4041

Delaware: Chris Coons (202) 224-5042

Florida: Marco Rubio (202) 224-3041

Hawaii: Brian Schatz (202) 224-3934

Illinois: Richard Durbin (202) 224-2152

Kansas: Jerry Moran (202) 224-6521

Kentucky: Mitch McConnell (202) 224-2541

Louisiana: John Kennedy (202) 228-0447

Maine: Susan Collins (202) 224-2523

Maryland: Chris Van Hollen (202) 224-4654

Mississippi: Thad Cochran (202) 224-5054

Missouri: Roy Blunt (202) 224-5721

Montana: Steve Daines (202) 224-2651

Montana: Jon Tester (202) 224-2644

New Hampshire: Jeanne Shaheen (202) 224-2841

New Mexico: Tom Udall (202) 224-6621

North Dakota: John Hoeven (202) 224-2551

Oklahoma: James Lankford (202) 224-5754

Oregon: Jeff Merkley 202) 224-3753

Rhode Island: Jack Reed (202) 224-4642

South Carolina: Lindsey Graham (202) 224-5972

Tennessee: Lamar Alexander (202) 224-4944

Vermont: Patrick Leahy (202) 224-4242

Washington: Patty Murray (202) 224-2621

West Virginia: Joe Manchin (202) 224-3954

West Virginia: Shelley Moore Capito (202) 224-6472

Wisconsin: Tammy Baldwin 202-224-5653

…And say:

“My name is [your name] and I am calling to urge Senator [NAME] to make sure that 2018 spending legislation for the Department of the Interior INCLUDES prohibitions on the destruction of healthy wild horses and their sale for slaughter. Please ask the Senator to stand with the 80 percent of Americans who oppose mass killing and slaughter of wild horses and burros and want them protected on our public lands.”